Forearm supported tray

ABSTRACT

A forearm supported tray (33) includes one or more compartments (37a, 37b), a corrugated roll-on area (50) and handle means (39, 42) allowing securement and control by hand or part thereof. The tray is designed to add convenience and improve safety when used for painting, touching-up or similar applications particularly those performed on hard to reach areas when using a ladder or similar means.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to trays and particularly to thoseconstructed to be easily portable and adapted to carry a small cargoespecially in form of paint and/or paint applicators.

Commonly used paint trays are designed to contain a certain amount ofpaint and to provide an area to distribute the paint evenly onto thepaint roller. The size of those conventional paint trays is such, as toreceive a large paint roller. However the size and shape of mentionedpaint trays, especially when filled to capacity, does not allow them tobe moved above ground without great risk of spill.

The common remedy to this problem, practiced among professionals andamateurs alike, is using a nearly empty paint can, paint can cover or asmall container filled with paint when touching-up all the"hard-to-reach" places. However, this is not a solution, since accessingthose "hard-to-reach" areas with a paint brush and a paint container inyour hands, i.e. via a ladder, is not only very cumbersome but also verydangerous.

This shows that there is a great need for a paint tray, which in anideal case, would not restrict hands at all.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providea tray that is portable and light weight. It is a more particular objectof the present invention to provide a forearm supported tray that iseasy and safe to use.

It is a still more particular object of the present invention to providea forearm supported tray that allows virtually unrestricted use of bothhands under the conditions relating to painting "hard-to-reach" areasespecially while using a ladder or similar means.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a tray to beheld over the forearm, the tray comprises one or more compartments largeenough to hold several ounces of paint and wide enough to receive asmall paint roller and a medium size paintbrush.

Further, the tray comprises a corrugated roll-on area. Means is providedto secure the tray and to be controlled by a hand or part thereof toprevent uncontrolled movement of the tray in any direction.

The control means is either or both of a thumb ring attached to the trayor a handle for gripping by the fingers. The thumb ring extendsforwardly of the tray and the handle depends downwardly from a topportion of the tray.

The compartments are preferably sufficiently deep to extendsignificantly below the bottom of the forearm, when the forearm is inplace supporting the tray. The bottoms of the reservoir compartments areflat so that the tray can stand stably on a foundation and independentlyof external support when the forearm is removed from the tray. Both thereservoir compartments extend in depth about an equal distance from theforearm support.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the forearm supported tray constructedcomprising two symmetrical compartments and a thumb ring positioned onthe forearm showing a virtually free hand;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the forearm supported tray along sectionlines 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the forearm supported tray comprisingtwo compartments and a depending handle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the forearm supported tray comprising asingle compartment, flat roll-on area and a handle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the forearm supported tray comprisingtwo symmetrical compartments, a thumb ring and a handle.

DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 5 show a perspective views of the forearm supported painttray 33 resting on the forearm showing a virtually "unoccupied" or freehand 100.

The tray 33 includes two symmetrical tapered reservoir compartments 37aand 37b terminating upwards in a rim 34 which defines rectangularaperture 32. Interior corrugated walls of compartment 37a and 37b definean arch 35, which is shaped as a forearm support to rest on the forearmand forward portion of forearm 101. The outside portion 53 of thetopmost portion of the arch 35 is generally rounded so that the top ofthe forearm can fit comfortably under the arch 53. The inside surface ofthe arch 35 provides a roll-on area 50 to the inside of the tray 33. Thetop 51 of the arch 35 is set below the level of the rim. Accordingly,paint or liquid 52 inside the compartments 37a and 37b can betransferred to the adjacent compartment without spilling over the rim34.

A horizontal thumb ring 39 originates forwardly from and ahead of rim 34medially on the forward end 151 of the tray 33. The thumb ring 39 isaligned with arch 35 and defines a centrally located aperture 40 sizedto comfortably receive an average thumb 102 in order to secure andcontrol the position of the tray 33 on the forearm and/or forwardportion of forearm 101. A web construction 54 is provided to either sideof the ring 39 to reinforce the connection of the ring 39 with the rim34.

The preferred profile of compartments 37a and 37b provides a corrugatedroll-on face of spaced ridges 135 to facilitate the action of a rollerand/or brush in applying the correct amount of paint 52 to the roller orbrush applicator. The depth of the compartments 37a and 37b issignificantly greater than the diameter of an average adult-sizedforearm as shown in phantom by line 103. The depth from the rim 34 tothe base 60 is about three times the diameter of forearm 103. The heightof the top 51 of arch 35 is about two and one-half times the diameter103. About one-half diameter of forearm 103 extends above the top 51 tothe rim 34. The base 60 for each compartment 37a and 37b is flat therebyfacilitating the stable location of the tray 33 when the forearm 103 isremoved.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the forearm supported tray 33a with adownwardly depending handle 42 in place of thumb ring 39. The end 43 ofthe handle 42 is raised above the flat base 60 of each compartment 37aand 37b. The handle 42 extends forwardly of the front end 151 and aheadof rim 34. The tray 33 can be located on a foundation 80 when notsupported by the forearm 103. The corrugated surface 135 in FIG. 3 arebumps 235 over the surface.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the forearm supported tray 33b withsingle compartment 37a, a flat roll-on area 47 and handle 42 extendingforwardly of the rim 34.

In FIG. 5 the embodiment of a tray 33d is shown with a thumb ring 39 anda forwardly depending handle 42. This provided for handling by the handin either one or both modes, namely thumb ring and/or handle.

The forearm supported trays 33, 33a, 33b, 33c provide a portable,comfortable and easy to use device for painting and many otherapplications. Trays 33 and 33a can center the weight of the cargo overthe forearm, thus lessening the strain on the hand and forearm muscles.Furthermore, the forearm supported tray literally frees the hands andincreases safety when used for work on areas accessible by ladder orsimilar means. Also the paint application such as a brush and roller,can be contained in a reservoir, with the paint in the other reservoir,thereby facilitating use of the tray.

While the above description contains many specificities, these shouldnot be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, butrather as an exemplification of preferred embodiments.

Many other variations are possible. For example, the number and shape ofcompartments, various other means with which the tray can be secured bythe hand, forearm or secured to the forearm, or other attachments likecovers, handles are possible. The forearm support can be either on thelower portion of the arch or an additional member. By the term"forearm", the applicant means the wrist and/or arm of the user.

The scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodimentsillustrated, but by the following claims.

I claim:
 1. A paint tray comprising:at least one reservoir for holdingpaint, the reservoir being sized to receive an applicator for removingpaint from the reservoir; a forearm support with the reservoir forresting at least partly on a forearm of a user, the reservoir being of adepth greater than the diameter of a forearm of a user; and an apertureextending forwardly of the reservoir and the forearm support foraccommodating a thumb of the user whereby with the forearm supportresting on the forearm of the user and the thumb of the user through theaperture, the reservoir is securely positioned relative to the forearmof the user.
 2. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are twodepending reservoirs, the reservoirs being located to either side of theforearm support, the reservoirs being directed downwardly an equaldistance from the forearm support, whereby, when not supported on theforearm of the user, the reservoirs can stand stably.
 3. The tray asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the reservoirs each have a flat base andeach include spaced upwardly and outwardly directed walls flared fromthe base, one of the upwardly flared walls for each reservoir being aninner wall of each reservoir merging with the forearm support.
 4. A trayas claimed in claim 1, wherein the forearm support forms at least partof a wall for the reservoir, the forearm support and the wall beingintegral, and wherein the integral wall is at least partly corrugated.5. The tray as claimed in claim 1, including a pair of reservoirs andwherein the forearm support is between the reservoirs and wherein theaperture extends forwardly from between the reservoirs.
 6. The tray asclaimed in claim 1, a webbing from the reservoir for reinforcing theconnection between aperture and the rim.
 7. A tray is claimed as inclaim 1 wherein the one reservoir is for holding paint and the otherreservoir is sized to receive an applicator for a moving paint from thereservoir.
 8. The tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reservoirincludes walls, and wherein the paint is held directly adjacent thesurface of the walls.
 9. A paint tray comprising:a pair of spacedreservoirs for holding paint, the reservoir being sized to receive anapplicator for removing paint from the reservoirs; a forearm supportbetween the reservoirs for resting at least partly on a forearm of auser, at least part of the reservoirs or forearm support being at leastpartly corrugated, the reservoir being of a depth greater than theforearm of a user; and an aperture extending forwardly of the reservoirsand the forearm support for accommodating a thumb of the user with theforearm support resting on the forearm of the user.
 10. The tray asclaimed in claim 9, including a web from the reservoir for reinforcingthe connection with the aperture, the aperture extending forwardly ofthe forearm support.
 11. The tray as claimed in claim 9, wherein theforearm support includes an arch for resting on the forearm of a user.12. A paint tray comprising:two spaced reservoirs for holding paint, thereservoir being sized to receive an applicator for removing paint fromthe reservoirs; an arch between the reservoirs and extending below thetop of the reservoirs whereby paint can be transferred betweenreservoirs without reaching the top of the reservoirs; a forearm supportrigidly affixed with the reservoirs for resting at least partly on aforearm of a User, such that reservoirs depend downwardly below theforearm of the user and the reservoirs each having a respective flatbase for supporting the reservoirs stably on a foundation; and anaperture extending forwardly of the reservoir and the forearm supportfor accommodating a thumb of the user, whereby with the forearm supportresting on the forearm of the user and the thumb of the user through theaperture, the reservoir is securely positioned relative to the forearmof the user when the reservoirs are raised from the foundation andsupported on the forearm.
 13. The tray as claimed in claim 12, whereinthe aperture is formed to extend forwardly of the forearm support, andwherein the reservoirs extend to either side of the forearm support. 14.The tray as claimed in claim 13, including a web for reinforcing theaperture connection to the reservoirs.
 15. The tray as claimed in claim13 including a corrugated surface on at least a part of a wall of thereservoirs or the arch.